Thrips Imaginis
These minute insects arrive mid-late October in Melbourne, lacerating the edges of rose petals, damaging them so that they cannot reflex and open, resulting in rotting of the blooms due to damp weather at that time. Suggested treatment to offset thrips damage can be had at the appropriate link.
Enlarged, this bloke looks dead. This season (2005) has not been too bad for thrips from my observations.